The Antihero Broadcast – Friendsday w/SHERIFF DEREK SANDERS (02/18/2026)

Episode Overview

This “Friendsday” episode of The Antihero Broadcast, hosted by The Antihero Podcast, features a wide-ranging discussion for veterans, first responders, and blue-collar Americans. The centerpiece is a detailed, candid interview with Sheriff Derek Sanders, Thurston County, WA’s youngest-ever sheriff, who speaks on leadership, agency reform, community-police relations, use of force, and the realities of running for and holding office as a young cop. The hosts and Sheriff Sanders dive into transparency, accountability, navigating both community and political pressures, and setting new standards for law enforcement leadership.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Current Events & Culture Chatter (02:03–10:35)

• Pop culture banter: The hosts discuss recent tabloid stories (e.g., Shia LeBeouf’s troubles), viral fight videos, and the increasing challenges of discerning real from AI-generated content.

• Community conversations: Reflections on Patreon interaction and building an engaged, no-BS “for the boys” community, not fixated on war stories but shared working-class experiences.

• Internal agency politics: Insights on “admin nukes,” misuse of departmental vehicles, and the persistent gap between command staff behavior and frontline morale.

  “People are sick of hearing the budget crisis...then they watch command staff recklessly do whatever they want.” – Host (10:22)

2. Viral Video Context & Introductions (11:43–15:32)

• Sheriff Sanders' rapid rise: Brief bio, emphasizing his age (originally elected at 29), proactive leadership, and the transformation of a previously struggling agency.
• The incident: Before Sanders joins, the hosts play and dissect a nationwide-viral video of a calm deputy facing intense, critical questioning from a school administrator during a routine collision report.
• Host reactions: Admiration for the deputy’s composure and anticipation of Sanders’ perspective.

3. Interview with Sheriff Derek Sanders (15:32–57:42)

A. Background & Style (15:32–19:59)

• Leadership by example: Sanders continues to work patrol and make arrests as sheriff, underscoring his hands-on, visible approach.
• Election story: Elected in Washington's capital county (305,000 residents) after defeating a 12-year incumbent, driven by a desire for more effective leadership.
• Agency transformation: Jumpstarted staffing, pay, and facilities improvements, focusing on accountability and reform.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t like working the road and don’t remember that’s exactly what I do all this for.”

— Sheriff Sanders (17:06)

B. Running for Office: Inside Story (19:00–25:47)

• Motivation: Initially, Sanders considered leaving policing, but seeing widespread apathy, he entered the race when no one else would.
• Loneliness & risk: Running against his boss alienated former friends; campaign years felt isolating.
• Community-first shift: Successful messaging focused on explaining value to the public, not just solving deputies’ problems.

“It was a very lonely year. I spent a lot of time just sitting in my car… Everyone wants to side with who they think is going to be the winner, and no one thought I was going to win.”

— Sheriff Sanders (24:54)

C. Bridging the "Admin vs. Deputies" Divide (25:59–32:13)

• Proximity as leadership: Sanders stresses the importance of leaders “showing up,” not hiding in the office, and building relationships through visibility on the job.
• Handling discipline and transparency: Publicly posts about terminations for misconduct, balancing accountability with morale.
• Pushback on oversight boards: Supportive locally if justified by scandal; otherwise advocates civilian “advisory” boards over punitive oversight boards.

“If you spend all of your time locked inside your office…that’s a pretty easy way to guarantee there’s going to be a rift. I don’t know how anyone can consider that leadership.”

— Sheriff Sanders (27:21)

D. Civilian Advisory Approach (32:25–34:17)

• Role of community boards: Explains differences between oversight boards and advisory boards. Sanders wants district-sourced panels to ride along, audit, give input on policy, and help bridge perception gaps.
• Mutual accountability: Recognizes that public power in policing is “borrowed” and needs constant attention to maintain trust.

E. Standing Up for Cops & Use of Force (34:19–42:50)

• Backing deputies: Relates defending deputies even in “ugly but lawful” incidents. Notably stood by a deputy whose foot was on a suspect’s head during a dangerous arson arrest, explaining the necessity and doctrine behind the tactic (Graham factors, defensive tactics).
• Honest about optics: Although lawful, Sanders acknowledges tactics may look bad to the public and welcomes feedback, but commits to transparent, truthful explanations.

“I think that’s an example…I try to be really overt when I think deputies are doing the right things for the right reasons.”

— Sheriff Sanders (39:21)

• Defensive tactics and optics: Cites Gracie method—sometimes head control is best practice, even if controversial. Importance of teaching techniques that work and look better.

F. Handling Power & Ego (43:34–47:47)

• Lessons in humility: A senior politician advised Sanders:

  "Your position is of the utmost importance. You are not.”

• Career planning: Sanders describes how opportunity more than ambition pushed him to leadership; still dreams of going back to “graveyard cop” work someday, but is open to further public service if needed.

G. Facing the Next Election & Agency Challenges (47:50–57:23)

• New challenger: His own union president is running against him, emblematic of ongoing labor tensions—acknowledged, not resented.
• Approach to discipline: Differentiates honest mistakes (“train, not fire”) from true misconduct (“terminate”).
• Viral video handling: When the aforementioned school confrontation video surfaced, he immediately recognized his deputy’s professionalism and issued formal commendation.
• Areas for self-improvement: Sanders wants to slow down after years of “150 mph” transformation, focus more on building relationships with jail and patrol staff, and prioritize time in the agency over constant community campaigning.

“When I took over…the second worst-staffed sheriff’s office in the entire state…What I’m hoping to really do in the next term is slow down a little bit...My goal now is really to spend more time with my employees.” (55:51)

4. Aftermath, Reflection, and Real Talk (57:42–72:32)

A. Host Debrief

• The hosts agree: Sanders is impressively mature, humble, and pragmatic, especially given his age and the challenges of his liberal-leaning county.
• He’s lauded for visibility, willingness to engage tough criticism, and using social media effectively for transparency, which older leaders often avoid.

“He’s young enough to take advantage of the social media train...a lot of these older sheriffs or chiefs...they’re not in the social media generation.” – Host, reflecting on modern leadership (65:10)

B. Law Enforcement Culture & Diversity Debates

• Discussion shifts to broader topics: recruiting, specialty assignments, diversity targets and their consequences, and the realities of hands-on policing versus public image/PR roles.
• Some skepticism aired about “check the box” hires vs. operational competence, with hosts criticizing policies that move officers (especially women/minorities) into specialized or non-patrol roles too quickly, potentially undermining agency credibility and morale.

Notable Quotes

• “Your position is of the utmost importance. You are not.”
  — Advice to Sanders from a senior Congressman (44:58)
• “People can see what happens. That’s never really been the problem...What people are just now starting to get, I feel like, is why.”
  — Sheriff Sanders (43:10)
• “At this point in my life, right here, right now, I’d like to continue being the sheriff…and if I weren’t the sheriff anymore, I would like to go back to being a graveyard cop.”
  — Sheriff Sanders (47:47)
• “Some people gotta be fired. That just is what it is. And also, really overtly supporting your staff when they do good work. If you can do both those things, I think the public is on board.”
  — Sheriff Sanders (29:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:03–10:35 – Current events, Patreon culture, and cop/admin disconnect banter
• 11:43–15:32 – Sanders intro, viral school video, and discussion
• 15:32–57:42 – Full interview with Sheriff Sanders. Agency reform, election, challenges, use of force, discipline, advisory boards, public relations, and leadership.
  • 25:59 – Admin vs. rank-and-file: leadership principles
  • 34:19 – Use of force, defending deputies, community optics
  • 43:34 – Ego, office, career trajectory
  • 55:51 – Self-critique and “slowing down” for relationships
• 57:42–72:32 – Host reaction, culture talk, diversity debates
• 72:32–end – Extended banter, listener interaction, and closing episode plugs

Episode Tone

The conversation remains candid, irreverent, and direct, typical of the blue-collar/veteran milieu—no-nonsense, but consistently focused on honest critique, real-world leadership, and the human realities of law enforcement work.

Takeaway: Sheriff Sanders represents a new breed of law enforcement leadership—young, visible, candid about mistakes, focused on community ties and rigorous internal standards. The episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of policing, honest leadership, and the actual work of transforming agencies from the ground up.